THE US and the Philippines have agreed to step up the deployment of advanced US missile and unmanned systems during a “strategic dialogue” held in Manila on Feb. 16.
In a statement, the US Embassy said both sides agreed to “continue and work to increase deployments of US cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.”
Last year, Washington deployed Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System missile platforms to the Philippines during annual joint military exercises. The systems have since remained in an undisclosed location in the country.
The allies also committed to expanding multilateral defense cooperation through maritime activities, bilateral and multilateral exercises and enhanced security coordination.
Both governments said they would further strengthen joint readiness, improve interoperability and enhance exercise execution, including in contingencies such as civilian-led disaster response.
The US also pledged to help modernize the Philippines’ civilian and military cyber defense capabilities to better detect and disrupt cyberthreats.
Discussions included improving Manila’s ability to monitor and respond to maritime challenges, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
“They committed to maintaining a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific to prevent conflict and to develop strong measures, alongside deterrence, to keep sea lanes open and not subject to arbitrary control by one country,” the embassy said.
Both sides reaffirmed that collective defense remains critical to deterring aggression in the South China Sea. The Philippines and the US have been treaty allies since the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, which obligates both sides to defend one another in the event of an armed attack.
Defense ties have strengthened under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., whose administration has taken a firmer stance against Beijing’s activities in Philippine-claimed waters.
Beyond maritime security, the dialogue also covered cooperation against transnational crime, cybercrime, online scam operations and illicit drug trafficking. The two countries pledged to deepen law enforcement coordination and combat transnational repression.
Energy security was also on the agenda. Both sides agreed to expand cooperation on energy supply, resilience and critical infrastructure to support economic and defense priorities.
The US committed to support the Philippines’ plans to develop nuclear energy capabilities, including organizing a trade mission to connect Manila with leading US nuclear technology firms. Washington will also provide $1.5 million to fund a simulated nuclear reactor control room for training.
“Recognizing the importance of energy security to national security, both sides endorsed growing and deepening cooperation on energy supply, resilience and critical infrastructure,” the embassy said.
Meanwhile, the Philippines held its first multilateral naval drill of the year in the South China Sea with the US and Australia, as the three allies moved to strengthen interoperability amid rising tensions with China in the disputed waterway.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said the exercises were aimed at “enhancing operational cohesion” among participating forces through maneuvering drills and logistics coordination designed to improve maritime domain awareness in contested waters.
The two-day activity, held from Feb. 15 to 16 in the West Philippine Sea — Manila’s term for parts of the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone — involved naval and air assets from the three countries.
The Philippines deployed FA-50 fighter jets, the missile frigate BRP Miguel Malvar and the Philippine Coast Guard’s multirole response vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua. The US sent the guided missile cruiser USS Dewey, while Australia deployed the frigate HMAS Toowoomba.
“The two-day exercise, spanning the waters of the West Philippine Sea, reinforces the continuity of multilateral cooperation and reflects the participating nations’ sustained commitment to strengthening maritime security in the region,” the Philippine military said, adding that the drills captured key operational insights.
Described as multilateral maritime cooperative activities, the exercises were the first for 2026 and underscored what the Armed Forces called a “shared, multinational resolve to strengthen interoperability and uphold freedom of navigation and overflight under international law.”
The drills took place against the backdrop of escalating tensions between Manila and Beijing, including recent diplomatic exchanges and confrontations at sea involving disputed features near vital shipping lanes.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea under its U-shaped nine-dash line, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian states.
Manila has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims, citing a 2016 arbitral ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that voided China’s expansive assertions under international law.
Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling and continues to maintain a large presence of coast guard and maritime militia vessels in disputed areas, resulting in repeated standoffs with Philippine forces. — Adrian H. Halili and Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
